


Still Learning

by seekeronthepath



Series: Omegle: Surprisingly Awesome [10]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Derek Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Derek Tries, Friendship, Gen, Grieving Derek, Insecure Derek, Supportive Stiles Stilinski, Texting, post-s2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-14
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-05-13 21:43:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5718172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekeronthepath/pseuds/seekeronthepath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Derek texts Laura, even though he knows he'll never get an answer, because he wishes someone was there to listen. Then he accidentally sends one of those texts to Stiles.</p><p>Co-authored by the wonderful thewarlockandtheshadowhunter.tumblr.com, who wrote Stiles in this story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Still Learning

**I'm scared, Laur**

 

_[delay]_

I know I wasn't supposed to see this, but I'm here if you need to talk, okay?

 

**Shit – sorry, Stiles, I didn’t mean to bother you**

**Don't worry about it**

 

You're not bothering me

You don't need to handle all the big shit on your own, though, you know that right? Just, remember you aren't alone

 

**I do**

 

Good

And I meant it when I said you could talk to me about whatever. I mean, I know I'm kind of an ass sometimes, but still. The offer's there for whenever you want to take it.

 

**I meant, I do have to handle it**

 

No you don't.

That's what pack is for, right? For support and back up or whatever the hell you want to call it.

 

**But I have to make the choices**

 

That doesn't mean you have to make them on your own

 

**I'm the alpha**

 

And you have a whole pack who would be more than happy to help you if you just ASKED

 

_[delay]_

**I was never meant for this, you know**

 

You weren't?

 

**Laura was going to be alpha, of course. Siobhan, her cousin, was going to be her second.**

 

How come you weren't her second?

 

**Why would I be? I was comfortable as a beta**

 

Yeah, but I guess I thought since you were her brother you'd be her second

 

**No. I wasn't suited for it, and she and Siobhan were closer than Laura and I**

 

Oh.

Well, then I guess you're doing an even better job than I thought.

 

**What?**

 

You're a good Alpha, Derek. And even when you're not, it's obvious that you're trying you're best

 

**I have no idea what I'm doing**

 

Well, you're doing a good job of making it up as you go along

 

**Do you really think that?**

 

Yeah, I do

 

**Thanks**

**I don't know how my mother did it. She had a huge pack, people were coming to see her from across the country to ask for her advice, and she always seemed completely comfortable**

**Our pack is tiny, and it's exhausting**

 

Your mother was prepared for what she was doing

You have just had a new pack practically dumped into your lap.

And considering all of that, you're still doing great. You're always there for us, and you help train the betas and you do everything you can do

 

**I feel like I'm not doing enough for them**

 

They appreciate everything that you are doing

 

**I guess**

**I'm worried I won't be able to look after them**

 

You don't have to do it all on your own

 

**You keep saying that, but...my mom always knew what to do, we could come to her with anything and she would fix it. She didn't seem to need help**

 

Derek, leaders never look like they need help. They make themselves look like they know everything so that the people their leading feel confident enough to keep following them. I can guarantee you that your mother had someone helping her.

 

**If leaders look like they know everything, what does that make me?**

 

A leader who's still learning

 

**What if I make the wrong choices?**

 

Then we fix it and make them right

 

**Some things are irreversible. Some choices can't be made right**

 

Then we deal with the consequences however we have to. That's what packs do, right? Deal with things, together.

 

**Why are you being so nice to me?**

 

Why are you so surprised?

 

**Normally you're a lot more sarcastic**

 

Well, I can be nice too

Besides, I'm only sarcastic when it's funny

 

**That still doesn't explain why**

**it's not your job to baby me through a crisis**

 

I'm not babying you through anything

 

**Aren't you?**

 

No, I'm not.

I wouldn't lie to you to make you feel better, Derek. So, believe whatever you want, but I think you're being too hard on yourself.

 

**Do you really think so?**

 

Yes, I really think so

 

**There must be things you think I can do better**

 

I guess you could communicate with us a little more. Stop trying to be Superwolf and actually let us help you.

 

**I figured you would all feel better if you didn't have to worry about things**

 

It's a nice thought, but it doesn't work

 

**Honestly, part of my problem is that some of the things I'm worried about I know are irrational**

 

Like what?

 

**I find it hard to trust that Allison is telling us everything, or that she knows everything, so I do patrols for any sign of hunters three and four nights a week**

**Rationally, I know she's proved herself to us. I know we've made an alliance with her and Chris**

**I also know the chance is very slim that if there /were/ hunters, I'd actually /find/ them**

**But I look anyway**

 

Alright, I guess I can see why you might not trust her. Or Chris.

Is there anything else?

 

**There are some spots with magical significance in the preserve, I check on those**

**And it's not as irrational, but there are traditional boundary markers that I maintain**

 

You know, you could just set up a patrol within the pack. Every night two of us can go check out the preserve, make sure everything's alright? Then it's still getting done but you don't have to do it every night?

 

**You're all busy with school. I don't want to add to your workload unnecessarily**

 

So it's better that you overwork yourself than letting us help you?

 

**I'd rather I be overworked than all of you**

**And I figured you'd all complain**

 

We probably would, but we'd still do it

 

**Do you actually think it would be a good thing if I set up a patrol schedule?**

 

Yes

 

**I could patrol with everyone the first few weeks to teach them what I'm looking for and where to go**

 

As long as you're eventually not going every night...

 

**I think I can figure out pairs that I'd trust to do it properly**

 

Alright, good.

 

**Do you think I should include you or Allison or Lydia?**

 

Definitely.

 

**On the one hand, I trust you three to be responsible more than I trust Scott or Jackson**

**But I rely on my senses to check what I do**

**What would you contribute?**

 

Deaton's helping train me to use my spark powers, so I could contribute that?

And my bat

 

**You and Lydia, you're the brains of the pack, not the brawn**

**It seems like a waste to make you do legwork**

 

Derek, let me help!

 

**You're helping right now**

 

Let me help in the patrols

 

**If you really want to**

**But I want you and Lydia to go to Chris for extra self-defence training**

 

Okay, deal

 

**Would you rather be paired with Scott or Boyd for patrols?**

 

I'll pick Scott, cause Boyd'll probably want to patrol with Erica so...

 

**Boyd won't be with Erica**

 

Oh. Who's Boyd gonna be with then?

 

**Either Scott or Isaac**

**All the humans need to be with a wolf. Scott and Jackson are the only ones who will work with Allison, and I don't trust Scott not to be distracted by her, so she's with Jackson. Of the remaining four, I think Lydia will work best with Erica. That leaves you, Boyd, Scott, and Isaac.**

 

I guess you should put me with Boyd then, coming from a distraction point of view.

 

**He respects you**

 

Boyd?

 

**Yes**

 

Oh. I had no idea

 

**You earned it when Gerard had you**

**They came back because of you**

 

It's not like I could have just left them

I'm glad he likes me though. It's kinda hard to tell sometimes

 

**You could have. We weren't a pack then; you didn't owe them anything**

 

Pack or not I couldn't have left them, I just...I just couldn't do that

 

**And that's why Boyd respects you**

 

Oh. Well, I'm glad he likes me.

 

**Everyone likes you**

 

I doubt that

 

**Maybe not Jackson**

 

Definitely not Jackson

 

**He'll come around**

 

I really doubt that

 

**...I guess that's fair**

**Still, you're his pack, and I think he's starting to get that**

 

I'm gonna call that a win

 

**I'd say it is**

 

Yeah

And I guess he's not as much of a jackass as he used to be, which is nice

 

**I'm worried about his recovery from the kanima**

 

What about his recovery?

 

**He's adjusting well to being a wolf physically, but he never talks about his time as a kanima**

**Maybe he's talking to Lydia about it, but I have no way of knowing that**

**And you don't just get over something like that**

 

I can ask Lydia? If he's talking to anyone then he'll be talking to her.

 

**I'd appreciate that**

**She still doesn't really know what to do with me**

 

I think she still feels weird cause of the whole Peter thing. She just doesn't know how to approach you yet.

 

**Hmm. I thought it was an authority thing**

**She's used to being top of the hierarchy**

 

It could be both?

She definitely feels awkward because of everything that happened with Peter, I know that much. I guess it makes sense that the shift in power is kind of throwing her off her game a little too.

 

**I don't think being a non-wolf is helping, either**

 

That is also a very fair point

 

**I don't know what to do with Lydia, honestly**

 

She just has to figure out her new place with us. It'll take a little time, but it'll happen eventually

 

**Do you think I should be doing anything differently?**

 

Nah. She has to figure it out on her own, there's nothing you can really do to make it easier for her

 

**Thanks, Stiles**

 

Don't worry about it, big guy

 

**No, your...support means a lot to me**

**Really. Thank you**

 

Well, you have my support until you start doing something stupid

 

**I can live with that**

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed it, and I look forward to your comments


End file.
